Cameron keeps election pressure up on Brown

David Cameron sustained the pressure on Gordon Brown to declare his intentions today as the UK Prime Minister weighed up the gamble of calling an autumn election.

The Tory leader demanded an end to “endless dithering” after spending the morning promoting his party’s tax proposals on the doorstep in Oxford.

And Liberal Democrat leader Menzies Campbell called for an “unequivocal” statement to end fevered speculation he said was damaging the country.

Mr Brown is spending the weekend with advisers at Downing Street and Chequers weighing up the gamble of going to the country as early as November 1.

Speculation that he was set to call a quick poll was fuelled yesterday when it was confirmed that two key Commons statements would be made early next week.

Mr Brown will update MPs on the latest situation in Iraq on Monday and the following day Chancellor Alistair Darling will set out the Government’s tax and long-term spending plans.

That leaves it open for Mr Brown to ask the Queen on Tuesday to dissolve Parliament – the last day he can do so if he wants a November 1 election.

But his final decision will depend largely on the results of private opinion polling in key marginal seats – amid a Tory revival in public polls in the wake of the party’s conference.

Mr Cameron, speaking as he met voters in the Kennington area of Oxford, said: “Gordon Brown has put himself in a fairly extraordinary position.

“He should either get on and call it or get on with running the country. Instead, he’s been endlessly dithering and calculating. He’s been using Government announcements and troop announcements to make himself look good.”

He denied that the Conservatives were keen on a short election campaign in order to escape scrutiny over their spending plans: “I don’t mind what sort of election campaign the Prime Minister calls. Long, short or medium, we’re ready.”

Polls yesterday showing the Conservatives narrowing Labour’s lead – and in one case eliminating it altogether – have cast doubt over whether Mr Brown will take the plunge.

One post-conference survey put them on level terms with Labour and two others showed them three and four points behind – a major improvement on the previous week.

Bookmaker William Hill has lengthened the odds on a General Election this year to 11/10 – from as short as 1/4 immediately after Labour’s conference two weeks ago.

But it has also cut the odds on David Cameron leading the Tories to victory from 5/2 to 7/4, with Labour drifting out from 2/7 to 2/5.

Ladbrokes offer the same odds on the party’s chances but make a hung parliament a 5/2 shot, with William Hill offering 2/1 on that outcome.

Former Tory prime minister John Major warned a November election would raise “serious constitutional issues” including the probability of a record low turnout.

“In the last two elections, 2001 and 2005, turnout dropped from around 80% to a miserable 60%. If we have an election in November, it may well fall further.

“I don’t think anyone, whomsoever won the election, would have much of a mandate on a 50-55% turnout so I think he would need to consider that.”